8 Best Places to Set Up a Hammock in Fort Worth

Whether it be in the middle of the city, suburbs or secluded in a group of trees, Fort Worth offers a variety of hammock-friendly settings to suit your fancy.

Story and photos by Brandi Addison

If you’ve never hammock-ed before, you’re doing summer wrong. Whether it be in the middle of the city, suburbs or secluded in a group of trees, Fort Worth offers a variety of hammock-friendly settings to suit your fancy. Here, your guide to hammock-ing in Fort Worth.

Best Scenery: Trinity Park — Trinity Park Drive

2200 Trinity Park Drive

There are plenty of beautiful places to hammock in Trinity Park — trees everywhere, people to watch, and plenty of shade. However, the trees off the banks of the river are the best place for you if you’re wanting a place with a beautiful view. Right in front of you is the trestle bridge, the Trinity River, and Downtown Fort Worth. Watch for snakes — the grass in this area is high, and it’s very close to the water. To get here from University Drive through the park, pass the playground and two parking lots on your left. If you’ve reached the third parking lot — that will be on your right — you’ve gone too far, but you’ll be close enough to walk.

Most Quiet in an Urban Setting: Trinity Park — Seventh Street Bridge

2200 Trinity Park Drive

Also in Trinity Park is the quietest place to hammock in an urban scene, in the valley beneath the West Seventh Street Bridge and alongside the river. Not a lot of people come to this area of the park. It is so close to being in the middle of the city (yet far enough away from people), all that can be heard are the faint sounds of cars crossing the bridge. There are not a lot of surrounding trees, so this is one of the sunniest places to hammock. Go all the way down River Drive in Trinity Park until you’ve reached the cul-de-sac.

Most Quiet Overall: Memorial Oak at Art Cowsen Trailhead

7500-7578 Memorial Oak, Benbrook

This one should be a given. It is completely outside of the urban area of Fort Worth. Surrounded by trees, this is what you’re looking for if you’re trying to be completely alone, in a completely quiet, natural space. Even cooler than the complete silence it offers, this area is home to Memorial Oak — Texas’ largest Bur Oak. The oak is 80-feet in height, 19-feet in circumference and over six-feet in diameter. This means the average person could lay at the base of the tree, and the tree would be wider than they are tall. To get there, start walking down the Art Cowsen Trailhead, take the first pathway you’ll come across on your right and go across the bridge.

Loudest: Trinity Park — Duck Pond

2200 Trinity Park Drive

This is a great place to be if you want to experience nature. The sound of the water fountain is soothing. There will be ducks quacking and birds chirping. There are a lot of trees and a lot of shade. Be warned, however — it is right beneath the Lancaster Avenue bridge. When it isn’t rush hour, this would be a great place to sit back and relax. Much like the area near the West Seventh Street Bridge, it is in the middle of the city, but away from all the people and traffic. The parking lot is right near West Seventh Street, across from Chuy’s on Stayton Street.

In no particular order, here are more places to hammock in Fort Worth:

The Trailhead at Clearfork

4801 Edwards Ranch Road

Right off the Trinity River, you will see downtown’s skyscrapers from a distance. It is quiet here most of the time, but there will be occasional cyclists and runners that pass by you. There are plenty of trees around, so it is fairly shaded there, but allows a perfect amount of sunlight. Also, on Saturday mornings, there’s family yoga, the farmer’s market and live music — so, if you’re searching for peace and quiet, this isn’t the time to go. It’s near Press Café if you’re hoping to spend a while hammock-ing and need a snack in between. It also has a bike sharing station if you’re wanting to be active. To get here, walk by Press Café to the Trailhead sign, and trees will be lined up on each side of it.

Benbrook Marina

301 Lakeview Drive

At the Benbrook Marina, right near the lake, there are a few trees to hammock on at the shore. There are also picnic tables in case you want to bring a friend along and have some lunch while you’re there. The area is fairly quiet, but when water motor vehicles go by, some of your peace may be disturbed — but not too much. An added bonus is that you can hammock and dry off after spending your day on the water. Look out for cottonmouths, though, since it’s so close to the lake. To get here, park in the parking lot of the Benbrook Lake Marina.

Texas Christian University

2800 S. University Drive

If you’re a student at TCU — and you need to rest in between classes — hammock-ing is the perfect way to spend your time and relax. Near the pond between Greek housing and the intramural fields, there are a few trees to hammock on — not a lot though. It’s also very sunny. However, it is on the outskirts of campus, so there won’t be too much human traffic or activity unless an intramural game is going on. Overall, it is a quiet place to be. Fortunately, TCU has plenty of other places across campus to hammock. Students can bring their own or rent one from the recreational center for $4 per day.

Burnett Park

501 West Seventh St.

Surprisingly, the Burnett Park in Downtown Fort Worth is not that loud. There’s a lot of vehicle traffic nearby, not too much human traffic, and plenty of trees that keep it shaded and cool, with skyscrapers surrounding. One man who passed me by on a recent hammock visit said, “You’ve got it down. I wish I had thought of that.” If you want to be in the middle of downtown, but still away from heavy human activity, this is the place to be. To get there, drive down West Seventh Street. Once you see a 50-foot-high sculpture of a man holding a briefcase, you’ve reached your destination.